The Deni Ute muster is one of those iconic events that everyone should attend at least once. It appeals to an eclectic demographic from the young bucks that camp all weekend and have their utes that range from bush beasts to sports utes, through to the 50’s plus that turn up in 5th wheelers and caravans for the music festival.
The Muster started in 1999 and has been a boon for the local economy. It is run mainly by volunteers and a small team and is a not for profit event with the proceeds going back into the town.
This is a classic example of Aussie ingenuity in country towns where they can expand horizons and come up with something that injects life into the local economy.
Events this year include
– Go to Whoa precision Ute driving
– Holden Barrel Race
– Circle work Championships
– Holden Grunt Off
– World record Blue Singlet count
– Coates Show and Shine for the Ute of the Year
The other half of the Muster is the Music Festival Play on the Plains. This provides an international line up of music artists for daytime music and well into the night. Daytime artists include
– Jared Porter (who I saw at the Tamworth music festival)
– Victoria Avenue
– Deep Creek Road
Main night-time artists include
– Kasey Chambers
– Troy Cassar Daly
– The Mavericks
– The Sunny Cowgirls
– Gary Allan
– Spiderbait
There are three camping areas, one for the younger attendees or those older who are still looking to party hard, one for the older or quieter amongst the attendees and one separate area for families. Facilities are good although with the numbers there are often queues for showers etc.
One unfortunate side effect is that there are multitudes of campers that camp on the roadside the night before the gates open and their debris can be seen for miles. That is something the organisers should look at.
The Deni Ute Muster is on during the long weekend in October. It starts on Friday the 3rd and finishes on Saturday the 4th October. Having been a few times before it really is a cultural experience that offers something for all ages and I encourage everyone to try it at least once. Who knows like some they go once and become addicted. To find out more go to http://www.deniutemuster.com.au/
